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Citizens Advice Bureaux

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many citizens advice bureaux are operating. [194166]

Mr. Sutcliffe: From information provided by Citizens Advice and Citizens Advice Scotland, the umbrella organisations for the Citizens Advice Bureaux Service in the UK, there are 566 Citizens Advice Bureaux operating in the UK. Many of these operate from more than one source, including for example, hospitals and magistrates courts, and in total there may be some 2,800 points of delivery.

Coal Health Scheme

Mr. Clapham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what the average cost paid by the Department under the Coal Health Scheme to each of its contractors was when a living claimant (a) agreed an expedited settlement and (b) settled after going through the Medical Assessment Process in the last period for which figures are available; [194412]

(2) what the average cost paid by the Department under the Coal Health Scheme to each of its contractors was (a) when a living widow accepted an expedited settlement and (b) when the settlement followed the appraisal of the deceased's documentation by the Medical Assessment Process in the last period for which figures are available; [194413]

(3) what the average cost paid by the Department under the Coal Health Scheme to each of its contractors was (a) when a claim on behalf of the estate agreed an expedited settlement and (b) when the settlement followed the appraisal of the deceased's documents by the Medical Assessment Process in the last period for which figures are available. [194414]

 
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Nigel Griffiths: The Department's claim handlers do not record the information in the format requested. Processing expedited settlements is not costed separately. There are not expected payments to widows or their estates for deceased claims.

The average cost paid to contractors for handling a respiratory disease claim—live and deceased—is approximately £1,300. I am advised that more than half this cost is accounted for by medical assessments.

Copyright

Mr. Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what her policy is on the extension of the term of copyright protection granted in the EU to the creators of sound recordings; [193045]

(2) what response she intends to make to the Internal Market Directorate-General's consultation on the review of the Term of Protection Directorate (DIR 93/98/EEC). [193046]

Ms Hewitt: The Term of Protection Directive harmonises copyright term across the EU. The Commission has argued against pursuing any extension of the term of protection for sound recordings at the moment. We believe that the copyright term for sound recordings in the EU must take into account all relevant factors, and we are therefore currently examining the Commission's views and the evidence presented to us by UK industry.

We agree with the light-touch approach to updating the EU copyright framework, including the Term Directive (93/98/EEC), as set out in the Commission's staff working paper. The Commission has made it clear that its consultation is directed at interested parties but not member states. We are therefore urging the creative industries and other key sectors in the UK to make their views known to the Commission.

East Midlands Development Agency

Mr. Dorrell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many full-time equivalent employees were working for the East Midlands Development Agency in each year since its establishment. [192939]

Jacqui Smith: I am advised by the East Midlands Development Agency that the number of full time equivalent employees working for it in each year since its inception is as follows:

	Number of full-time equivalent employees
1999–2000	113
2000–01	124
2001–02	141
2002–03	170
2003–04	185

Energy Research

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps the Government are taking to ensure basic energy research is being carried out in the UK; and how much her Department spent on such research in each of the last three years. [191182]

 
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Mr. Mike O'Brien [holding answer 15 October 2004]: The Science and Innovation Framework for 2004–14, published in July, sets out the Government's ambition for UK science and innovation over the next decade. Sustainable energy is a key theme and priority. The Office of Science and Technology will review departmental science and innovation plans for their quality and effectiveness following the spending round negotiations and assess the extent to which these align to wider Government priorities, including those in support of sustainable energy.

The Government support energy research through two main mechanisms. Industrial research is supported under the DTI New and Renewable Energy Programme, which has now been subsumed within the DTI Technology Programme. Research in universities and academia, including basic research, is supported by the Research Councils.

Expenditure under the DTI New and Renewable Energy Programme, the fusion research programme, and by the Research Councils on energy related research for the last three years is as follows:

	Expenditure (£ million)
2001–02	35.8
2002–03	43.0
2003–04	46.0

Responsibility for funding for fusion research transferred from DTI to the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) in April 2003.

The main Research Council energy related research programmes are currently: "Towards a Sustainable Energy Economy" with £28 million funded jointly between Natural Environment Research Council, EPSRC and Economic and Social Research Council, which includes funding for the UK Energy Research Centre; "SuperGen" with £25 million for sustainable energy generation funded by EPSRC; "Carbon Vision" with £14 million funded jointly by EPSRC and the Carbon Trust for research into energy efficiency and low carbon innovation; and the fusion programme with £48 million from EPSRC.

The Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research (with a budget of £10 million over 2000–05 from NERC, ESRC and EPSRC) also undertakes energy related research.

Export Control Advisory Committee

Mr. Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the purpose is of the Export Control Advisory Committee; when it was set up; which organisations are represented on it; and if she will make a statement. [194756]

Nigel Griffiths: The Export Control Advisory Committee was set up to enable the Export Control Organisation (ECO) to engage in a structured dialogue with representatives of industry who are subject to the
 
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strategic export control regulations administered by ECO. This is particularly important following the implementation of the Export Control Act 2002 which imposes new controls on exporters of strategic goods. The Committee is chaired by the Director of ECO and consists of representatives of trade associations whose members are users of the export licensing system. It meets every six months starting from 13 May 2004.

Fair Trade

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make it her policy to ensure that all Government-funded hospitality is sourced from fair trade producers. [192901]

Mr. Alexander: The Department of Trade and Industry works closely with other Government departments to promote fair trade, and the Government are committed to supporting fair trade through its own suppliers wherever possible within the boundaries set by the public procurement rules.

Since September 2002 the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has ensured that Fairtrade products were made available throughout the DTI offices, and many of her Cabinet colleagues have responded to her urging to do likewise. Government departmental restaurants and cafeterias are continually adding to their range of FairTrade products. In addition to FairTrade coffee and tea, staff, visitors, and Ministers can now enjoy FairTrade cereal and chocolate bars, and FairTrade hot chocolate, sweetened with FairTrade sugar.

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